Felix huston



UNITED STATESA PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX HUS'ION, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

MODE OF RAISING VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,327, dated July 18, 1854.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FELIX I-IUs'roN, of the city of New Orleans, in theState of Louisiana, have `invented a new and Improved Mode of RaisingSunken Vessels and of' Carrying Ships, Steamers, &c., over Bars orShallow Water; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingperspective drawingsand to the letters of reference marked thereon.`

The nature of my invention consists in distributing the weight of thevessel to be raised over three bottoms, by weights and levers, arrangedashereinafter described.

I construct two strongly built vessels of as light draft as possible,and place them, one on each side' ofthe vessel to be raised, asrepresented in the annexed drawings, making part of this specification,in which--` i A represents the vessel to be raised, and

B, B, the auxiliary vessels.

C,'C, and D, D represent the levers. el, cZ, are derricks or `shears`fitted on the outer ends of the levers 0,0, and e, e, e, e,

are cars, containingstones, cannon or other weight. y

f, f, f, f, are the fulcra of the levers.

g, g, g, g, are strong windlasses, or other contrivances for fasteningthe chains, which pass under the vessel to be raised, where that ispracticable, or are otherwise made fast to the vessel to be raised, asits position will best admit.` `The levers, C, C, andD, D, are made ofstrong :frames of timbers, resting each, on `a fulcrum f, placed in thecenter line of the auxiliary vessels B, B. On the levers, is a railwayor track s, s, s, s, for the cars, e, e, 6, c, containing the weights,so that they may be run from one end of the levers to the other. At theouter ends of the levers C, C, derricks or shears, fl, CZ, are attachedto the levers, with a hinge, so that, by suitable tackle, `they may bepartly extended out, as at al, and entirely extended out, as at d, thuslengthening the outer arms of the levers, and greatly increasing thepower, by throwing the weight p, p, out beyond the sides of theauxiliary vessels B, B. The same obj ect may be effected,'without thederricks, by making the levers D, D, each, in one entire frame, projectover the sides of the vessels B, B, as at D, D. The number of levers,and their distances from each other, may be regulated according to cir-In taking hold of the vessel cumstances.

to be raised, the inner arms of the levers may be depressed, either bycapstans and tackle, or by running the cars e, e, e, e, with the weightsto the inner ends of the levers. When the chains are passed under, orothere wise made fast to the vessel to be raised, the cars, e, e, e, c,are run to the outer ends of the levers D, D, or on their reachingl thederricks d, d, of the levers C, C, the weights may be taken from them,and thrown by means of the derricks and suitable tackle, over the sidesof the vessels B, B, to any distance, which may be required, in order togive the necessary power of leverage.

In addition to the power of the levers, as above described, theauxiliary vessels B, B, may be made to serve as levers, bv careeningthem on the side next to the vessel to be raised, and then, afterpassing the chains under the vessel to be raised, or otherwise fasteningthem to it, as its` position may admit, running the cars, filled withthe weights, to the outer sides of the vessels B,

B, or to the extremities of the several levers, if needed, so as tobring them to an even keel. This .will give a compound leverage of vastpower. In addition to their application to the purposes of commerce, theauxiliary vessels B, B, might be used as floating batteries `for thedefense of harbors, where they are stationed, and in that case, thearmaments may be used for the weights. It will be observed, that theoperation is entirely above water.

I-Iaving thus fully described the nature of my invention, I would statethat I lam fully aware that auxiliary floats to raise vessels have beenused, some `of which have been so geared as to be rotated for winding upthe raising lines or chains; and that levers and. weights have been usedin connection with dry docks for raising vessels in said docks. These Ido not claim but- What I do claim herein as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- The raising of sunken vessels by means of thecareening motion of the side or auxiliary vessels, whether suchcareening motion is procured by weights run across the decks from sideto side of said vessels, or aided by arms projecting beyond said sides,substantially as represented.

FELIX HUSTON.

Witnesses:

W. Gr. SNETHEN, J oHN RICHARDS.

